Northern Graphite planning Okanjande Mine restart in 2027
Northern Graphite plans to restart the Okanjande Graphite Mine in 2027, targeting 31,000 tonnes per year (tpy) in Phase I as it positions the Namibian asset to supply feedstock to its planned Battery Anode Material (BAM) facility in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, which is expected to begin production in 2028.
The restart is expected to be executed within one year of a construction decision, underpinned by a relatively low capital requirement of US$34.6 million and the advantage of the mine’s fully permitted status.
Okanjande, currently on care and maintenance, previously operated between 2017 and 2018 and already has water and power infrastructure in place.
Phase I production will draw from a 1.6 million tonne measured and indicated graphite resource, with the operation focused on producing battery-grade graphite concentrate.
The company is also planning a 19 – 20 megawatt on-site solar power plant, forming part of efforts to rebuild the mine as a lower-carbon operation aligned with evolving battery supply chain requirements.
Located approximately 288 kilometres from the Walvis Bay Port, Okanjande benefits from established road and rail links, allowing direct access to export markets and positioning it as a relatively low-cost, near-term supply option compared to greenfield graphite projects.
The asset has a long development history, with exploration dating back to the early 1990s, followed by first production in 2017. Operations were halted a year later, leaving the mine on care and maintenance despite its existing infrastructure and permits.
Northern says the restart strategy offers a shorter time-to-market, leveraging an existing processing footprint and a known orebody rather than developing a new mine from scratch.
The company has also flagged potential for modular expansion, indicating scope to increase production beyond the initial 31,000tpy, depending on market conditions.
The planned restart forms part of a broader vertical integration strategy linking upstream graphite production in Namibia with downstream processing in the Middle East, positioning Okanjande as a key supplier to the global battery materials market.
